Grille supporting structure



Nov. 9, 1965 E- c. HALLOCK GRILLE SUPPORTING STRUCTURE Filed Feb. 4, 1963 INVENTOR EDWARD C. HALLOCK H IS AT TORN EYS United States Patent 3,216,169 GRILLE SUPPORTING STRUCTURE Edward C. Hallock, 86 Woodland Ave, Summit, NJ. Filed Feb. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 255,991 1 Claim. (Ci. 52-656) This invention relates to structure for supporting grilles.

Various grilles have been used with air conditioning cooling towers, windows, ventilators and the like as decorative screens or sunshades. Those grilles often consisted of a number of stacked strips suitably attached together and mounted in a frame to provide protection, adequate ventilation and a decorative effect.

Grilles formed by corrugated and inclined strips attached together by clips, as shown in my US. Patent No. 3,004,642, provide unusual and decorative screening effects while functioning effectively as screens and ventilators. Difficulties have been encountered, however, in mounting such grilles in frames due to the angular relation between the inclined end strips of the grille and the supporting frame members.

The present invention overcomes these ditficulties by providing grille supporting structure including mounting clips and frame members. The clips are each formed by two pairs of flexible diverging arms, the ends of which are provided with slots or grooves. The grooved ends of one pair of arms engage flanges extending along the frame member while the grooved ends of the other pair of arms, which are spaced unequally from the one pair of ends, engage opposite edges of one of the end grille strips. With this arrangement the end grille strip is supported in an angular relationship to the frame member and the stacked and space grille strips are inclined to provide the desired decorative effect.

The clip arms are formed to be resilient and may thus be spread apart and readily snapped on the grille strip and frame flanges. Therefore, no screws, bolts or other fasteners are required to attach the clips. This feature enables a considerable saving in the cost of installation, particularly where on-the-job assembly and installation are required because of the size of the grille.

These and further objects and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood when the following description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view showing an inclined strip grille supported in a frame member by mounting clips in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross section of the grille supporting structure of FIGURE 1 taken along the view line 22 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIGURE 3 is an isometric view of the mounting clip shown in FIGURES 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, a decorative ventilating grille of the type suitable for shading windows, walls or air conditioning towers, is shown in FIG- URE l. The grille consists of any desired number of corrugated strips 12 having alternate level portions 12a and angled portions 12b stacked in parallel relation and inclined forwardly by clips 14 which engage the level portions of adjacent strips.

Mounting clips 18 are used to support the grille 10 on a frame member 16 with the inclined strips 12 in an angular relationship therewith. The frame member 16, which may support the upper or lower end strips 12 of the grille, or both end strips, is formed by a bottom plate 16a having side plates 16b to mask the attachment of the strips 12 to the member 16 and to strengthen the frame.

As best shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, each mounting 3,216,169 Patented Nov. 9, 1965 clip 18 comprises a web 20 from which extends a pair of diverging arms 22, 23 and 24, 25, the mounting clip being generally X-shaped. Beads 26 on the ends of the arms are formed with parallel slots or grooves 30 that extend transversely of the clip 18.

The grooves 30 on the ends of the diverging arms 22 and 23 are spaced unequally from the ends of the arms 24 and 25 and lie in a sloping plane to engage the inclined level portion 12a of one of the strips 12. The grooves 30 on the diverging arms 24 and 25 lie in a horizontal plane, with which the strips 12 form an acute angle, to engage T-shaped flanges 38 and 39 that extend along the frame member 16. A limited amount of resiliency is provided in the clip 18 to enable the arms 22 and 23 and the arms 24 and 25 to be sprung outwardly and then snapped back to grip the opposite edges of one of the end strips 12 and the flanges 38 and 39.

The clips 18 may more readily be snapped into place if a sloping surface 40, generally parallel to its associated arm, is provided adjacent the entrance of each groove 30. By pushing the sloping surface 40 of the clip against the strip 12 and flanges 38 and 39, the arms are thrust outwardly into position. The arms then snap back into place with the grooves 30 engaged in the strip or flange.

To provide better support for the grille 10, the ends of the stacked strips 12 have tabs 42 formed with openings 44 (FIGURE 1) to receive fasteners (not shown) that secure each strip to the side members of the frame which may be identical to the top and bottom frame members. Two inner bosses 46 extend longitudinally along the frame member 16 to receive the fasteners that extend through the tabs 42.

The grille mounting clips may readily be manufactured by extruding strip aluminum into appropriate cross sections, for example the sections of the clips 14 and 18, and cutting the strips to predetermined lengths. Aluminum is also well suited to the remainder of the grille structure, including the grille strips and frame, because of its workability, light weight, resistance to corrosion, and attractive finish.

It will be understood that the above described embodiment of the invention is illustrative only and modifications thereof will occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention is not to be limited to the specific apparatus disclosed herein but is to be defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

A supporting structure for mounting a grille having inclined strips comprising a frame member, flanges extending along the frame member, clips connecting one of end strips of the grille in an angular relationship to the frame member, each of the clips having a first pair of flexible arms with grooved ends engaging flanges on the frame member, and each clip having a second pair of flexible arms with grooved ends spaced unequally from the grooved ends of the first pair of arms, the grooved ends of the second pair of arms engaging the opposite edges of the end grille strip to hold it in an angular relationship to the frame member, and at least one side flange extending along the frame member to mask the attachment of the clips to the frame flanges.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,967,336 1/61 Stockton 18935X 3,004,642 10/61 Hallock 189--82 HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

REINALDO P. MACHADO, Examiner. 

